


Distracting Ginny

by PixiesBabblings



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2019-04-17
Packaged: 2019-09-30 09:20:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17221220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PixiesBabblings/pseuds/PixiesBabblings
Summary: Ginny Weasly thought she had everything she wanted... Until she woke up one morning and she just wasn't happy. Nothing made her smile any more and she couldn't figure out what to do about it.





	1. An Unexpected Friend

**Author's Note:**

> This is a work in progress fic. I'm not sure which direction these characters will take or how they will get there either. 
> 
> Please leave a review if you read it, tell me what you like or dont like, I dont care how you give it as long as your respectful! I love honesty and therefore believe that I can't get any better unless y'all give it to me raw.. Lol 
> 
>  
> 
> I hope you like what Ive written so far! And I will try to update again soon! I'm gonna shoot for Friday/Saturday night updates but I'm a wife and mom sooo... I could very well be late! But it WILL happen! 
> 
> Thanks again and I hope you enjoy!!!
> 
>  
> 
> *Pixie*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Hi!!! I'm totally new at writing fanfics. I've had a few people give me some advice on this chapter, which is finally completely edited and done. If anyone would like to beta and help me move this along a little faster I'm totally interested!! I hope you guys enjoy, and I'm gonna try to get some real work out. I'm almost done there with chapter 3 and I just got to edit chapter 2, because what's posted is not what I have saved. So, thanks for reading, please leave a comment even if you don't like it. 
> 
> *Pixie*

Ginny wasn't sure how she got in this position, yet here she was...on the verge of ending her marriage. She knew her husband loved her, and she loved him. Just...she wasn't sure if it was how she used to love him. They had only been married for a year, so shouldn't she still be in that newlywed stage? Things were great right after the wedding. They spent a few weeks on holiday in America, touring the Salem Settlement and sneaking into the muggle music festivals that didn't come to England.

The months after seemed about as standard as it could be in a new marriage. They moved into #12 Grimmauld Place together, Hermione had done some really excellent blood magic after the Battle of Hogwarts and was able to undo most of Mrs. Blacks enchantments on the house. Ginny wasn't sure how she had done it but, the first thing Harry did was burn her portrait that hung beside the stairs and screamed obscenities at people.

“Sirius hated her, almost as much as this wretched thing.”, he said as he threw a match on to it, his face a mixture of hatred and what looked like happiness. Ginny wasn't sure, but she swore he had been smiling that day. Sometime of the last few weeks had changed. They didn't seem to connect the way they had for the last 3 years. The tiniest bit of intimacy felt forced and predictable, even though they both had unpredictable careers. 

Today she sat cross legged on her bed, fiddling with the strap on her Quidditch shoes, she never thought she'd stop loving Harry. She had been infatuated with him from the time she was 10 years old. Her infatuation only grew when he saved her from the Chamber of Secrets, not to mention the countless other times over their youth when he saved her or her family. So how come, so soon after the battle of Hogwarts, was she unhappy with him? His career at the Auror's Office was taxing, but he still managed to show her how devoted he was to her. So why did she feel so burdened by his presence? Her Quidditch career was good, the Holyhead Harpies were first in the league, and of course she was their star Chaser. She should be happy with her life, but she just wasn't. 

"Gin, did you hear me?" His voice carried across the room and suddenly broke threw her quiet contemplation. She must have had a worried look on her face while she was lost in thought because Harry looked concerned. 

"Urm.. What?" She stumbled." No, sorry Harry. I didn't." Her eyes flicked back over to him sitting in the chair by their bed. Harry walked over to her and sat down beside her. 

"I was telling you that Ron called," he reached over and laid his hand on her arm, "Hermione's baby shower is next week; and your mum wanted you to go shopping with her before the party." 

"Oh shit!" Ginny smacked herself on the forehead. "That's next week?! What day?!" She stood and started to pace around her room. 

"When does Mum want to go? I have 2-a-day practices most of the week and the game against Bulgaria’s on Sunday!" Ginny started to panic. She had totally forgotten about her niece's baby shower and now she felt like a horrible aunt. Harry walked over and grabbed her shoulders, 

"Don't worry Gin, your Mum set the party for Saturday at noon, that way you could be there. How'd you forget all this? We've talked about it almost a hundred times." He squeezed her hand and when she looked into those bright green eyes, Ginny felt like crying. He tried to pull her in for a hug, but Ginny moved towards their bedroom door instead. How could she tell him she forgot because she couldn't focus? That she lay there at night with him settled next to her and cry herself to sleep because she wasn't sure if she loved him anymore? What was worse, she didn’t know why.. Her manager was even starting to notice a change in her playing. The last couple of practices she missed five goals, which was unheard of for Superstar Ginny Weasley. 

As she reached the door she said, "I'm sorry Harry, with practice and the finals coming up and Fred and George asking me to do those stupid ass ads, plus the craziness that happened at Remus and Tonks’ house a few weeks ago…." she trailed of for a second, rubbing at her temples "... my mind has just been all over the place." She put her head in her hands.

"Well, you can always tell your brothers to shove it? Or maybe you're handsome 'Chosen One' husband will step in and do them?... " he said with a smirk as he walked towards her. He reached for her again, trying to hug her, and she moved away. Harry sighed and said, "I mean most people do say I look like I have a stick up my arse, maybe it'd be good for my image?" 

Ginny rolled her eyes at that one. She knew he didn't give a fuck about what the public thinks. She walked back over to the bed and sat down, putting her head in her hands. 

"I really want to help Fred and George, and being in the ad does sound like fun" she shook her head, “I'm just too swamped with worrying about getting to the finals to really be able to do my best right now...Do you think they'd buy that?" She said with a chuckle.

A few weeks prior, they had gone to a family gathering at the Lupin's house to celebrate Teddy turning 3. Ginny thought she had everyone convinced that she was just wonderful, (the Harpies had just started the playoffs and with their run up to the Finals) when the twins cornered her coming out of the loo, and demanded to know what was going on with her.

“Come on Gin!,” Fred had said forcing her to look at him. “You know you can't hide anything from us! I've heard you use that stupid fake laugh a million times!” She didn't remember what all she had said to them. She did remember telling them, however, to keep their fat noses outta her business or she would Bat Bogey Hex them so bad that they'd have to beg Hermione to help them recover. 

Usually, Ginny wouldn't have a problem just telling her brothers she didn't want to do their ad, but with everything that's going on in her head lately she's not sure that they would even buy that. Of all her brothers, the twins knew her best, plus she hadn't spoken to them since Teddy's party. 

"How about" Harry paused as he joined her on their bed, "I tell them that my boss said I need to work on my image? They'll get a good laugh and have something to rag me about and you'll get out of it scott free?” Ginny frowned, but gave him a look she hoped said that she appreciated the gesture.

She was relieved to have an out not to do the ad, but this is exactly what made her feel so guilty. He leaned to kiss her and this time she let his kiss happen. 

“You are the sweetest husband ever. How did a girl get so lucky?" she said sweetly. But the phrase made her feel sick to her stomach. 

Just then, one of the medals that the team uses to communicate started to vibrate. Ginny turned away from Harry to see that the team manager was calling everybody into practice early that day. 

"I've got to go to the pitch, seems that Morgan overheard some chick at the Leaky claimin' that Bulgaria was gonna bring Krum outta retirement.” she said “What wankers! Krum is knee deep in diapers with Lavender out on the Scottish coast!"

Obviously her family had a long history with Viktor Krum, He and Harry had kept in touch over the years. It was little more than Christmas cards and the periodic announcements/invitations to events, but she knew that he was loving his role as a father and was happily retired.

"I've gotta go get my bag." Ginny got up and made her way to the closet to get her Quidditch bag. 

"Please tell Mum while you’re there tonight that I'll be free after practice tomorrow and the morning after." Harry walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, Ginny was tempted to pull away but stayed. She figured that Harry would be able to feel how uneasy she felt in his arms. She broke out in goosebumps simply from being uncomfortable. 

"Of course love."

He kissed her on her forehead, said "Have a good practice" And with that Ginny walked out of their bedroom and towards the front door. Once outside she turned on the spot and disapparated.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

With a faint pop, Ginny appeared just outside the London Quidditch Stadium. It was a rather chilly night considering summer was about to begin. The guilt she was feeling about her situation with Harry still raw in her stomach, only made worse by the fact that she had lied to leave home early. Ginny walked down the narrow side walk towards the players entrance, lost in her own little world when suddenly she ran into something quite hard that exclaimed, "Ouch! Watch where you're going Weasley!”

Ginny looked up quite shocked. She had ran into none other than Draco Malfoy.

"Why don't you watch where you're going Malfoy!" She spat. "What are you even doing at the practice stadium?! Or the players entrance no less?! You don't even play Quidditch!" 

"Not that it's any of your business Weasley, but it just so happens that I,” he put his slender fingers to his chest “Am going to be the next announcer for the Finals." 

His smirk was evident. Malfoy always did like the chance to be the center of attention, and as an announcer in the Quidditch World Finals, everyone would certainly be looking at him. Malfoy hadn't done bad for himself since the war ended. He publicly renounced Voldemort, and when he did he burned away his dark mark. Malfoy was one of the only people to openly burn away the evidence Voldemort had left upon their bodies. He made a very grand showing of the act. Ginny could just faintly see the end of this scar underneath his emerald green Wizards robes. When his father was arrested, Malfoy testified at his trial and helped to lock away a dozens of Voldemort supporters that were still at large. Ever since then, he was constantly in the papers, being recognized for various donations to causes or departments at the Ministry. He even donated to S.P.E.W, which shocked Hermione so bad that she had actually passed out. Ginny had read the article that was printed in Witch Weekly and knew he couldn't have done that out of the goodness of his pure-blood heart. He was a Malfoy after all. 

 

"Anything to be the center of attention I guess," Ginny finally replied, eyeing him with suspicion, as she looked into Malfoy's steel grey eyes. For a second she thought she had broken his cool demeanor and actually affected him. 

Malfoy stared down at her, for what felt like a little too long before he said "Attention is on me no matter where I go, so I may as well use it to my advantage. Maybe if you were more relevant people wouldn't walk into you like you were invisible. Good luck in the match against Bulgaria, I may not be so kind with my commentary if you make it to the final." And with that Malfoy turned away from Ginny and walked down the hallway and out of the double doors.

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was half past 8 when she walked in to her living room after practice. Ginny slammed her quidditch bag down on the dining room table with such ferocity that Harry walked out of the other room "I guess practice wasn't that great?"

Ginny glanced over her shoulder at him and shrugged her shoulders in agreement. She started to untie her shoes when he walked over to grab her bag. "I don't need you to put it away, I can do it myself" She said as she snatched her bag away and basically threw it across the room to their couch. 

"Well there's no need for hostility, whatever your problem is I didn't do it do you." Harry snapped. He walked into the kitchen and placed his hands on hips and said "what would you like for dinner?". 

Ginny stood at the table and just started off into space. 

 

“Gin..” Harry said approaching her with his hands up in a defensive mode, “what's going on with you lately? You've been so distant….” His voice trailed away as he looked down at the floor. 

“It’s almost as if you don't want to be around me any more… do you want me to leave?” his voice breaking. 

"Do I want you to leave?!... No! But what's with all the questions, huh?!” she practically screamed at him. 

“Can't I just come home from practice and get some quiet before you start naggin’ me about everything?!" Ginny grabbed her shoes turned around and swiftly walked right back out the door.

She wasn't sure why she was angry with Harry. She wasn't sure why she was angry at all. Practice had gone great. Running into Malfoy before practice made her determined to make it to the Finals to prove the little git wrong about his commentary. She was going to make sure that he couldn't say anything bad about her in the Final, she was going to be the best damn quidditch player on the pitch. As she walked, she tried to think about when things started changing. She figured it was around the time he had really started working with the Aurors,that things had started to change. Harry had stopped noticing the little things, he had always been bad with acknowledging his gratitude or showing his appreciation, but when she dressed up for him or when she went out of her way to pamper him in bed, he hardly noticed anymore. They still made love, if that's what you could call it. He still turned her on, but now it was robotic and predictable.

Before she knew it, Ginny was in the heart of London steps away from the Leaky cauldron and a strong firewhiskey that seemed to be calling her name. It didn't seem like she had left her house that long ago, but it was a good hour walk into London. She kept replaying her actions with Harry over and over again and just couldn't figure out what made her snap at him. She walked into the pub and up to the bar to order her drink. Looking around the dusty inn, Ginny felt like she may have been in the wrong place. In every corner she looked there was some memory with Harry and she just wanted to escape anything that had to do with him right now. She was just about to walk out when a familiar voice drifted towards her. 

"Loookin’ like that Weasley, I'd say you know that you're not going to make it to the Final,” came a slow drawl from some place across the bar. Ginny looked around and finally spotted the voice that drew her out of her thoughts. He was sitting at the other end of the bar across the room from her. His sleek blond hair slightly falling over his face, and a hint of his thin nose in the profile that she could see. Ginny didn't know how long he had been there or how long he may have been watching her, but there was something about the way he was sitting at that bar that just didn't feel right.

"Are you stalking me Malfoy?" Ginny raised her eyebrows and gave him a quizzical look. 

He snorted. "Hardly. I bought this place after Tom died. After the war, Tom was like a dad to me. I didn't want this place to die." he waved his hand around the old tavern. Now that she paid more attention, the place did seem cleaner then the last time she was in there. The glass she was holding was certainly cleaner then when Tom was behind the bar. 

Ginny was shocked that Malfoy would tell her something so personal. It's not like they were ever friends, so why no snappy retort about stalking her? Their last year at Hogwarts together wasn't exactly an easy ride. But once she thought about it, Malfoy had stayed out of the spotlight more than ever that year. He didn't seek her out the way she thought he would when Harry, Ron and Hermione hadn't shown up for school. But this was the second time in two days Malfoy had done something really un-Malfoy-ish. Ginny couldn't help but wonder if maybe the Prophet was right, maybe Malfoy was changing. 

"I didn't know you were close to him like that." Ginny said sheepishly. 

Malfoy got up and walked over to her booth and sat down. He looked her up and down with those gray eyes 

"There's lots of things you don't know about me, Weasley." He sat his glass down on the table and Ginny noticed a fresh floral scent coming from the liquid it contained. 

Malfoy flicked his wand and in the corner a muggle jukebox turned on. The only reason Ginny knew the song it was playing is because Harry's muggle cousin Dudley had drug them to a concert for the band. 

"You're certainly right about that. Even if I knew you knew muggle music, I never would have expected you to be a fan of Nickelback.", she chuckled as she bobbed her head to the tune. 

"I like the dirt that's on your knees...I like the way you can't say please" The music filled the quiet pub and as it played Ginny thought he picked an awkward song to play. 

"So... How do you know this music?" She asked.

"One of my cousins is married to the guitarist. I have to say it's the only muggle band I know.” Malfoy gave her a sly smile “So Weasley, where's your darling 'Chosen One' husband?" 

"Uggghh!" She groaned. "That's…not a subject I want to talk about right now." Ginny put her head in her hands. Of course he would ask about Harry just as she was starting to forget. “How about we talk about this guitarist cousin?” she mumbled with her head still in her hands. 

Malfoy raised a perfect eyebrow "Oh no! There's trouble in Chosen Paradise!" he said with a dramatic flare. Ginny actually laughed out loud, and immediately clamped her hands to her mouth. 

Malfoy smirked again, this time Ginny really looked at his features. His face was sweet, there were small laugh lines at the corners of his lusciously full lips, and this subtle twinkle in those steel grey eyes that made it look like the sun was shining into them. She had always thought Draco was attractive, but his personality had always made her want to puke. 

She put her hands down and said, "Well, I guess things could be better." Malfoy was staring at her. He had an intense look on his face like he was trying to figure out exactly what to say. 

"Harry is very sweet, almost too sweet. It's like he always says the right things, but can't really do the right things. Sometimes I feel like he has no idea what I need from him. Since the war ended, all he wants to do is please me! When I left the Irish, he supported me instead of telling me to cool it. He knew I was wrong for punching the ref but... it didn't matter." Ginny hung her head quietly for a while, not able to believe she had just said all that to Malfoy.

"Well if it counts I think you were dumb as hell for leaving the Irish. The only reason the Harpies even have a slight chance is because they have you. You wouldn't have to work so hard if you stayed with the Irish." 

Ginny looked up at him, surprised "I thought your commentary wasn't going to be very nice, Malfoy?"

"Sue me. I've been drinkin' since 4." He flashed her a real smile then, and Ginny had never seen his face so handsome. His smiled softened all of his sharp features in a way that made him look like another person... Almost. 

"Maybe I should send you a bottle before the finals?" She joked. 

"You best make it a good vintage. I only drink the best." His foot caught as he was sliding out of the booth, almost making him trip. They moved towards the bar and he seemed to stumble a bit before he grabbed a dusty bottle of wine. It looked well over 100 years old. He popped the cork "Speaking of, would you like something better than that barbaric firewhiskey? I don't know if you know it, but my family used to make the best wine. When I bought the place" he waved the bottle of wine around in the air and a little sloshed on the floor "I had the whole stock brought here. It's safer here, my mother can't drink it all if she doesn't know where its at" He stood there for a moment, trying to catch his balance before walking back over and sliding into the booth. "This is a very good vintage. Brewed before the first war." 

He handed her the bottle and instead of pouring it in her glass she took a swig from the dust caked bottle. Ginny swallowed the sweet liquid and to her surprise she liked it, she wasn't usually a wine kind of a girl. 

"You do know that's not how your supposed to drink that right?" Malfoy was eyeing her with an air of humor.

"Of course I do,” said Ginny, licking her lips, “But it seems my host has forgotten to get me a proper glass. Unless, of course, I'm supposed to use this whiskey glass?" Ginny held the glass up to him, and for the first time she realized she was still in her practice clothes. She was normally comfortable in anything, she didn't have body issues, but for some reason she felt uneasy with Malfoy being able to see all her curves. Her practice clothes were nothing like her player robes. The form fitting outfit hugged her in all the right places, and with the way she was leaning on the table Malfoy had a full view of her cleavage. 

Malfoy pulled his wand from underneath his robes, summoned a golden wine glass and handed it to her. As he poured the wine a delicious floral smell enveloped Ginny' s senses. 

"I usually don't like wine, but that has to be the most beautiful thing I've ever smelt." Ginny took a sip from her glass and somehow the wine tasted better. It was like laying in a pasture, with the most succulent and pungent roses in the world. Ginny looked at Malfoy and he was smiling again. 

"Looks like you enjoyed that, Weasley." He took a sip from his own glass and Ginny thought she had seen him wink at her. 

"I'm honestly not sure if I'll ever drink firewhiskey again. It doesn't even taste like alcohol." She took another long drink from her glass and couldn't help licking the sweet taste off of her lips again. 

"Better be careful with this stuff" he held up his glass to the light, and looked at Ginny from the corner of his eyes. "Give it about 5 minutes, you'll feel like you've had 10 of those shots." 

"You seem fine and have supposedly been drinking this for almost 5 hours now, I can handle myself." Ginny snapped. She didn't need Draco Malfoy, of all people, telling her how to drink. She is a world famous Quidditch player after all and she's been to more than her fair share of after victory parties. 

She took another long sip from her glass and licked her lips again. Man this stuff is good. 

"So, Malfoy... Why were you sitting in a corner all alone?", Ginny mused.

Malfoy eyed her for what seemed like minutes. Before he spoke, he took a sip from his glass then leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table and said "Honestly? I'm hiding here because" he paused " my Mother wants me to go to some stupid party to meet some ridiculous people whom I have no interest in being around.” He poured himself some more wine as he continued to stare into her eyes then he said "Ready to spill on Potter yet?" 

"Not yet" she said "You're being awfully honest with me tonight, you didn't put Veritaseum in these bottles did you?" She fingered her glass as she asked her question, swirling the contents around in a circle. 

"Please!" He said. Some liquid spilled from his glass as he threw his arms into the air, "Why would I do tha’?!" He took a long drought from his glass and said " I've simply been drinking for ‘ours and could care less about ‘hoo hears what at this point. Would you like some more wine? Your glass looks a little empty" He extended the bottle to her and she gladly accepted his offer. 

"Who is it your Mum wants you to meet?" Ginny asked betting it was some high ranking Ministry official. She was taken aback when he said “A woman” 

"Your Mum was trying to set you up?", Ginny couldn't believe that he would have trouble finding a woman, even if he is a Malfoy. 

"Yes and no," he sighed, "I doubt, with a family like yours, you follow traditions?" 

"Excuse me?" She said her shoulders tightening.

"Meaning old pure-blood traditions. You know, like, only marrying another pureblood, arranged marriages, only banking at Gringotts, things like that." His face softened some more as he spoke. Ginny could tell that wine was finally getting to him. 

"Oh those traditions, no we didn't follow things like that." She said.

"My Mother,” he said the word with disdain, “seems to think that I should no longer be single and has decided to arrange a marriage on my behalf. She was hoping I would greet the woman and her family tonight. Basically to show I agreed with the pairing. I hope she understands that my absence means that I do not.” He exclaimed, another real smile making an appearance. 

“I wish to find love on my own terms, I want someone to love me for me. Not because Wizard tradition says that they should." Malfoy looked away for a moment and when he turned back to face Ginny, the look in his face was extremely timid. Ginny could see that Malfoy, in all his arrogance, just wanted someone to care about him for who he was, not the ex-Death Eater, or Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy's son. But for Draco.

"So instead of going to her little soiree, I came here, to drink away the family wine! Cheers!" He held his glass up like he expected her to toast with him and she reluctantly obliged. “To the Noble House of Black! Fuck your traditions!” 

The two of them sat quietly for a few minutes. Ginny wasn't even sure if tonight was real. When she left her home this evening after practice she wasn't sure where she was going, but she certainly didn't expect to end up in the Leaky Cauldron, drinking expensive family wine with Draco Malfoy. Nor did she expect for him to be so... different. 

He wasn't like she thought he was, she had read the articles about him. But she never really thought he actually changed. Harry, Ron, Hermione, the twins, hell even her parents thought Malfoy had changed. Ginny had always been doubtful. But sitting here with him tonight, this brutal honesty he's displaying... She couldn’t help but think they may have been right. Maybe Malfoy has changed? Ginny lifted her glass to her lips, only to find that her glass was empty.

Setting it back down she looked at Malfoy and said, "Can I have another refill?". 

"Anything for a 'payin' ‘ustomer!" He said with a hiccup. He pulled his wand out and with a flick of his wrist said, "Accio Blacfoy wine!", but instead of the normal whooshing sound from an object zooming through the air, nothing happened. "Accio Blacfoy wine!", he said again with more feeling. Yet again, nothing happened. Sighing with defeat, Malfoy put his hands on the table and seemed to have to push himself up out of the booth. 

"I guesss the wine has finally started to affect me..." Malfoy slid out of the booth and started to fall forward “It is in the cellar, I shall be back... In... Just... A moment." As soon as he took a step, he stumbled and reached for the bar top, Ginny stood up and reached for his hand but Malfoy straightened up and said "I don't need ya..your... ". Before he could finish his sentence he fell forward into the bar counter, luckily he caught himself before smacking his head. Ginny walked over and grabbed his arm. 

"Yea, right you don't need my help, Malfoy. Your sloshed! Right pickled you are!” Ginny threw his arm over her shoulders and helped him steady his feet. "Quit being a prat and let's find you a room, huh?" Ginny started to make her way across the tavern floor, having to basically drag Draco toward. He raised his arm and pointed to the stairs, "I have me own suite, Wezley. It's at the top." 

Ginny wasn't sure why she decided to help Draco. The trip up the stairs didn't help matters either. The pub was old, the staircase was narrow and it snaked up the floors in winding circles for 5 stories before reaching the top floor. Malfoy wasn't a whole lot of help, he was almost a foot taller than Ginny, and being very inebriated, he didn't want to pick his feet up. It took her a solid 15 minutes to manage the staircase barely managing to keep Draco moving upwards. At least he was a pleasant drunk. He talked about how a witch was going to come into the pub and do some redecorating, he was going to get a younger crowd in here. He talked about he how already hired a clean up crew, after the old owner passed, instead of asking the house elves to do the deep cleaning (Hermione would love that) because it was just "tooooo nasty". The thing that almost gave her a legitimate heart attack, though was when they finally reached the landing of his apartment. 

"Ok Malfoy, here we are. All the way at the top. This is your room right?" Ginny was out of breath from the last few flights of stairs... It was almost if the wine tried to pull Malfoy back down stairs because he had become heavier with every increasing step. "Alohomora" said Malfoy sloppily. The door to his room opened and Ginny should have expected what she saw, though she did not. The room was very elegant, with silk drapes the color of emeralds, priceless works of art on the walls and in the center of the room was a large four poster canopy bed, made from the finest Cherrywood. It looked centuries-old. Ginny suspected it probably was. The sheets on the bed were made of satin, emerald in color to match the drapes and the top of the bed had to be 5 feet off the ground. She wanted to jump on it and see of she disappeared into the mattress. All the furniture was the same magnificent Cherrywood, with ornate details carved into the pieces. The room definitely said "A Malfoy lives here." 

Malfoy made his way towards his bed as Ginny surveyed the room. He stumbled around to the side of the bed attempting to kick off his alligator boots and pull off his robes. Ginny watched as he circled the bed finally managing to pull his robes over his head. Under them he wore a pair of muggle pants and no shirt, his chest was muscular even though he had a slim build. He turned to face her "Fank you for... 'eeing me home, Wezley. As you can.... see, I will be safe for da nigh'" He attempted to give her a bow, but ended up falling forwards and had to catch himself on one of the post on the side of the bed. 

"You said I could have another drink, I figured you at least had a bottle hiding up here some place." Ginny walked over to the dresser to what looked like a liquor cabinet, and opened the door. She was in luck, inside was another bottle of that same dusty wine. 

“I knew you wouldn't disappoint me!” She said as she popped the already open bottle and picked up a glass from the cabinet, then poured herself a drink. She drank a long drought and then turned to face Malfoy. By then he had sat down on the bed, and proved Ginny s prediction right, you do sink into that mattress. He was sort of half staring at her, half staring into space, so it was funny that he jumped when she spoke. 

"I didn't expect to run into you tonight Malfoy, but I'm kind of glad I did. You certainly showed me a different side when you were talking about the house elves." she taunted. 

" 'ell, 'ike I told you before Wezley dare's glots 'oo don't ca-know 'bout me. 'ome of me deep dark secrets ight just reprise 'oo." He struggled to stand and then stretch. Before Ginny knew what was happening, Malfoy unzipped his pants and took them off, revealing skinfully tight boxer briefs underneath, she could tell from the outline stretched across the fabric that he was rather well endowed. He turned and rather awkwardly climbed into his bed and underneath his blankets. Ginny stood by the dresser watching a Malfoy she never thought she'd see, was this really the kid she went to school with? Had he actually become a guy who drowns his sorrows for hours because he wants to marry somebody who LOVES him instead of someone he's told marry. 

"Wezley?" His voice came from the blankets so softly it startled her. She walked over to his bed so she could hear him better. 

"Fanks again," he said, barely able to keep his eyes open. Ginny stared at for a moment longer and then started to make her retreat. She walked back over to the dresser and set her glass back down, and walked out of his door. As she walked down the stairs and towards the front door of the Leaky Caldron she couldn't help but feel like her and Malfoy may actually be friends from now on. The next time she sees him in public she may actually greet him, in a friendly manner. Ginny didn't get what she needed tonight in terms of figuring out where she stood with Harry, but maybe she did gain herself a new friend.


	2. A Secret Revealed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2... Is FINISHED! This story is dying to get "on paper" (😂 haha), and slowly but surely its getting there!!   
> If you've run across this and you've enjoyed reading it then please, please, pleaseeeeeeee, leave a comment and let me know! 
> 
> Chapter 3 is in the finishing stages and Im going to try updating bi-weekly, though I can't promise it will be super consistant at first but I'm going to do my best. 
> 
> So much thanks to @Kickynikki for being an awesome Beta and helping me with FINALLY posting this version! 
> 
>  
> 
> Happy Reading everyone!!!
> 
> *Pixie*

Chapter 2

 

Ginny heard the blaring of her muggle alarm clock go off, rolled over, and slapped the button to turn it off. She flipped over in her bed and instinctively reached to the left, feeling to see if Harry was next to her. When she found nothing but empty space, Ginny figured he must have had to run into work before the baby shower. Sitting up, she stretched her arms above her head and then bent down low to reach for her toes to stretch her back out. She supposed that she should get up and take a shower to get ready for the baby shower later today. Even though it was a few hours away, she needed to mentally prepare before she faced her entire family.

 

It had been almost a full five days since Ginny walked into the Leaky cauldron that night. When she’d arrived home, Harry had been in bed for some time, considering the way he was sprawled across their bed. Ginny had been thankful for this -- she was in no shape to argue with him that night. She had been about halfway home that night when the Blacfoy Wine finally hit her the way Malfoy said it would. Ginny had walked home drunk plenty of times before, but that was a new kind of drunk. After waking up to a very intense dream the day after, she really wasn't certain if the events had taken place the way she remembered them.

A few days of piecing everything together, she finally accepted that it all had happened. Malfoy’s openness, talking about his mother forcing love on him instead of being able to find it on his own. Malfoy being vulnerable with her, Ginny Weasley. The way his face looked when he smiled, how it made his sharp features seem so much sweeter. His eyes....deep grey with flecks of shining silver… and then the way they had pierced her, like bullets breaking apart everything she ever thought she knew about Draco Malfoy. 

Let's not forget the major subject of her dreams every night since -- the outline underneath those skin tight boxer briefs. The first time she had the dream was the very next night. She then woke up with a bead of sweat dripping down her back, breathing heavily like she had just played a 48 hour Quidditch match.

Luckily for her, Harry must have left for work early that morning as well, because he wasn't there when she looked to her left. She’d gotten in the shower, almost as if to rinse Malfoy off of her, but the more she tried to forget him that day, the hotter it actually made her. 

Ginny sat there, the hot water cascading down her breasts and back, trying to figure out why it didn't bothered her that it turned her on thinking about sleeping with Malfoy. The more she thought about it the less she cared why it didn't bother her, and the more she explored what she wanted Malfoy to do to her. 

Ginny’s hands moved on their own, first touching her breast as she thought about the way Malfoy's boxers had fit his slender frame. She imagined laying down on his silk sheets as she watched him pull down his boxers, the definition of his waist making her core tighten, thumbing her nipples. The images her mind produced made her almost ashamed. She and Harry were kinky, but the Draco of her dreams treated her like his personal little sex doll. His hands were strong and forceful, making his desires known in a way Harry never had. 

And then right there, in the shower that she had made love to Harry in, many times, Ginny Weasley started to masturbate to the thought of herself fucking Draco Malfoy -- Her husband's worst enemy, next to Voldemort. 

Ginny felt so ashamed of herself. She was never the cheating type, but for the last four days all she could think about was what it would feel like, to feel Malfoy inside of her, his naked chest, the way he would breathe as he thrust into her. Even when she was picking out a present for her new baby niece, Ginny secretly hoped that she’d spot him in Diagon Alley. 

The whole time she was shopping, there was a voice in the back of her head that kept asking her, "Why are you doing this? It's Dra-co Mal-foy. He was a slimy git to you and your entire family for most of your life, and here you are fantasizing about shagging him in your shower." 

In an attempt to make herself feel slightly better, she shagged Harry later that night, but in the end, that only made Ginny feel worse. 

Now, she finished her shower, after resisting the urge to masturbate again to Malfoy's stiff outline, and made her way over to her closet. It took her awhile to figure out what to wear to the shower, because she had practice after. Even though she showered after practice, there was something about wearing formal clothes that her body just couldn't endure. She wondered if Hermione would freak out if she came in jeans and a t-shirt. 

In the end, Ginny picked a cute little green spring dress, that had her favorite flower, yellow pansies, on it with a pair of skin tight leggings underneath, a pair of knee high boots completing her outfit. But she threw some extra clothes in her quidditch bag as well, just in case she wanted to change after practice. 

Ginny had taken about 2 hours to shower and pick out her outfit, so she was surprised when she walked downstairs and Harry still wasn't home. They were due to leave for the baby shower any moment, but she supposed that he would just have to meet her there. Not wanting to leave the house without him knowing she was going to the party, she sent him a Patronus letting him know that she would meet him at her parents’ home. With about 20 minutes to go before the party, Ginny walked out her door and disapparated for the Burrow. 

She appeared just outside the back door. Looking down to see the same old rubber boots and rusty cauldron that were always sitting there, Ginny took a small comfort in the fact that some things don't ever change. 

She took a deep breath, opened the rickety back door to the kitchen, and stepped inside. There was her mum, cheery as ever, waving her wand over the stove, undoubtedly making something delicious for the baby shower.

"Oh, hello, Ginny dear!" said Mrs. Weasley affectionately. Ginner walked over to the stove and gave her mother a hug. 

"Hi, Mum. Whatever you're making smells delicious. I bet it's way better than whatever I've been conjuring up lately. I'm pretty sure Harry is going to go on strike soon because he's not getting fed well enough. He's probably having flashbacks of living with the Dursleys,” she said, standing with her arm around her mum’s shoulder. 

"Oh, I'm sure it hasn't been that bad, dear. Hermione's just in the den finishing up with the decorations. I can't believe it's almost time for our first grandbaby!" she exclaimed as she sent the pies she had been working on to the table with a wave of her wand. Mrs. Weasley turned back to the stove to finish making another dish, and Ginny made her way into the den, only to find Hermione sitting in the rocking chair with silent tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Hermione! What's wrong?" Ginny asked, walking over towards her and laying a hand on her arm.

"Oh, it's nothing, just these bloody hormones,” Hermione said, wiping the tears from her face and rubbing her swollen belly affectionately. 

“I was putting up the rest of the decorations and I couldn't help but be so happy that Ronald and I are going to have a baby. And I know how excited your mum is and, oh, it all just got to me." She stood and wrapped her arms around Ginny’s neck. 

"You and Ron are going to be great parents, Hermione. This kid is damn lucky to have you as a mum, even if ickle Ronnie-kins is the Dad,” said Ginny with a squeeze to her sister-in-law’s midsection. Hermione's arms tightened around Ginny's neck, and she proceeded to break down crying again. 

Just then, Mrs. Weasley came into the den and announced, "The guests are arriving, dears, time to go greet them.” 

She paused, looking around before placing her hands to her hips. “And where is Ronald? This is a baby shower for him too, after all.”

“Ronald! Your guests are here!" yelled Molly up the stairs to her right. Ginner could faintly hear the crash of a door opening, heavy footfalls coming from the staircase, and finally her older brother appeared. 

"Oi! They're early!" said Ron, missing the last step and tumbling into the room. He stood, brushed himself off and said, "I thought this thing wasn't supposed to start until noon."

"It is noon, Ron... Maybe if you hadn't slept all morning, you would know that," said Ginny as Hermione released her neck and wiped away her tears. 

“There's my favorite baby sister, and just how do you know I slept all morning?" Ron grabbed her into a bone-crushing hug. 

"If you've ever woken up early on a Saturday, I'll eat whatever ridiculous hat Phlegm wears today,” said Ginny, pushing her brother off her, referring to her stuffy sister-in-law.

"Guess you won't be eating any hats today. Your mum JUST dragged him out of bed right before you walked in the door." Hermione kissed Ron on his forehead, and walked through the kitchen to start greeting the guests for the party.

"Come on, Ronald!" she called, beckoning him to join her at the back door. 

Ginny figured since it wasn't her party she didn't really have to greet any guests, so she made her way up to her old room to throw down her quidditch bag and the pop by the loo. She stopped by Fred and George's room to see if they were there, but it was quiet so she knew nobody was inside. That room was never quiet if Fred and George were in there. 

Taking her time, she casually made her way out into the backyard where the party was set up. Of course the entire extended Weasley Clan was there, that was normal for any sort of family thing, which meant she was dreading walking up to that tent. Most of her family were old fogies who still pinched her cheeks like she was an 11 year old little girl. 

"I'm sorry I'm late,” came a voice from behind her. 

Ginny felt a hand grab her shoulder just before entering the tent. She turned to see Harry there and gave him a small smile -- he knew how she hated family gatherings. 

"Its okay, I'm just glad you made it. Secret Auror stuff to attend to this morning?" she said as he placed a kiss on her cheek.

 

"You could say that. But this isn't the place to talk about that. I suppose we'll have to talk about it sooner or later, though,” he said, dragging her into the tent. 

Ginny let it go, knowing that Harry would talk to her, but for a brief second she thought maybe he knew. Somehow he found out about her night at the Leaky Cauldron with Malfoy and he was upset. Or maybe he found out about her fantasies and wanted to confront her. Either way it seemed that it was a conversation for another time.

Ginny put the thought out of her head and for the rest of the evening she tried to enjoy herself as much as she could while surrounded by her family. She and Harry sat side-by-side as they watched Ron and Hermione open their presents for the baby. They had chosen not to find out the gender, so most of the presents were just cute and gender neutral. 

Of course they got the traditional stroller and carseat from her muggle parents and the toy broomstick and levitating rocker from the Weasleys. All the baby items were cute, but Ginny was almost positive she didn't want children. Watching her brother and sister-in-law open their gifts and play all the traditional baby games was a nice distraction for a little while, but all too soon the medal in her pocket started vibrating, letting her know that it was time for practice. Ginny made her way around the tent saying her goodbyes to everyone. She would be leaving the next day for her match with Bulgaria so she made sure to give her mum and Hermione extra long hugs. 

Harry walked with her out of the tent and they made their way past the house towards the road. 

"I won't see you before you leave tomorrow," he said. "We've caught a break in the case involving Percy." 

As soon as his name left Harry's mouth, Ginny stopped. The family didn't talk about Percy much. Things were still way too painful. Before the Battle of Hogwarts, Percy didn't get on so well with the rest of the family, so when he showed up to fight the Death Eaters, Ginny was shocked. For that one moment before the fighting began, their family had been whole again. Having Percy ripped away after just getting him back was almost too much to go through. Harry had helped her a lot through that time, always telling her that he would never stop looking for Percy's murderer, and that one day he would receive the Dementor’s Kiss for what he’d done.

"Have you found him?" she asked, her voice slightly breaking. 

"Well.... we received a tip. From a pretty.... reliable, albeit unusual, source. I'm taking a team with me to go investigate. The boss wouldn't let me tell Ron, he's already taken his paternity leave." Harry stared back at her with an intense look in his eyes. If this lead panned out, Percy's killer would finally be in Azkaban, and she knew all too well from the look in Harry's eyes exactly what was about to happen. He was going hunting.

"Can you tell me where the tip came from?" she asked as she reached for the gate. 

"I'm not supposed to, but it's just so unusual that I have to. Just, when your family finds out, don't tell them I told you who tipped us off." He glanced over his shoulder to make sure nobody was around, turned back to her and said, "It was Draco Malfoy." 

Ginny wasn't sure what to say. She just sat there for a moment staring at Harry like he had spoken gibberish. Draco Malfoy had information that may help to find Percy's killer?

Why would he come forward now? Was this new information or did he have this information all along? Was their night together the reason he finally came forward? There were so many questions running through her head, but because of the situation, Harry was oblivious to all of them.

"Listen, it's a strong lead, Gin. I'm going to get him this time. When you come home from Bulgaria that fucker will finally be in Azkaban. You'd better get going before you get in trouble, though. I love you, Gin. I'll see you when I get home." Harry kissed her on her forehead again. 

"I love you, too, Harry,” she said before she turned and disapparated.

Ginny appeared outside the Quidditch stadium, her mind going to a million different places at one time. As she walked up the sidewalk towards the player’s entrance, she couldn't believe what Harry had just told her. Walking through the door and down the hall; she knew that as much as she wanted to analyze it, she had to stay focused for practice. Especially if they were going to beat Bulgaria and make it to the final. She went into the locker room and changed into her quidditch robes, letting the day’s events slip from her mind, and turned her focus to Quidditch.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Practice was exhilarating that day. The Harpies were going to slaughter Bulgaria on Sunday. The team flew with precision on every single play, and as long as they played the same way the day after tomorrow, the Harpies will have made the final for the first time in a quarter century. When Ginny made it back to her home that night, though, her conversation with Harry immediately came back into the forefront of her thoughts. 

Ginny walked over to the mantle. On it sat her favorite picture of Percy, from her first day at Hogwarts. She had been so scared that Percy had let her walk with him while he patrolled the corridors on the train, until she found a room with some other first years. That's where she met Luna, actually. 

They were standing in their living room at The Burrow. Percy turned to face her from the picture and smiled, just over 16. Just then, Ginny came running into view and jumped into her older brother's arm, knocking his horn rimmed glasses askew. Percy had always been different with her than with their brothers. Nicer, sweeter than they were... At least to her. 

Ginny had the benefit of not only being the youngest, but the only girl, so her brothers all treated her a little different than each other. She stood at her mantle for what felt like a long time staring at her and Percy. She wondered what he would be like now: would he still be working for the Ministry? Or would he have finally joined Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes? 

One of the last times she had seen him, before he disowned the family because of their loyalty to Dumbledore, he told her that he was thinking about going into Magical Law. Ginny wondered if he would have been Harry's boss one day. 

Then her memories shifted to the day that they lost him... 

It had devastated the family. According to Mum, Percy had come home a few days before the battle. He’d told their parents how sorry he was, that he had been misguided by people from within the Ministry. He said how sorry he was for trying to overshadow their father, and for thinking that his family was lower class because they were poor. He had realized that money, power, and even respect, didn't matter if you didn't have your family to go home to at night. 

He told them that he realized he made a mistake after the Death Eaters entered the Department of Mysteries, but he had no way to safely get out of that position. He still wasn't safe, but he didn't care anymore. He wanted his family back. Ginny didn't know, when Percy walked through Ariana Dumbledore's portrait that depressing night, that he had been with Bill and Charlie. The three of them had met at Shell Cottage shortly after Harry, Ron, and Hermione had left with Griphook, planning to go after Ron, when Aberforth sent his Patronus about the battle. Seeing him that night, it was as if Ginny had gotten a piece of herself back, only for it to be ripped away from her again. 

She knew that Harry was going to find that arse Lestrange. She also knew that if Harry had it his way, he was going to come back inside a body bag. She wished that he had been able to give her real details -- he always shared a little more than he should with her, probably because he knew that Ginny wouldn't say anything to anyone. She couldn't believe it could almost be over. It had been almost 4 years since the Battle of Hogwarts, and Percy's killer’s escape. Her family wouldn’t be able to really heal until Rodolphus Lestrange was in Azkaban for life, or dead. 

Ginny had been absent-mindedly pacing her living room, lost in her thoughts about Percy. It was only when she kicked her coffee table that she was brought back to reality. 

"Oi! Merlin's salty nuts!" she yelled as she sat down to rub her shin. 

She glanced around her living room and finally noticed the time -- almost midnight. She had to meet the team at 7 for the Portkey to Bulgaria, so she figured she should get some rest. Ginny crossed through the living room and walked into her closet to change into her nightgown. Inside the closet she noticed where Harry had dug through his clothes, obviously packing his mission bag. He had left his memory box on the floor by his shoes, so Ginny grabbed it and walked over to their bed, sat down, and opened the lid.

Inside, there were a few pictures that Harry wouldn't display, mostly ones of the Dursley's; the gold, broken piece of Gaunt's ring that Harry kept; the Marauders Map; a few clippings from the Daily Prophet, mostly dealing with the aftermath from the Battle of Hogwarts and the friends they lost; and a few trinkets it seemed Harry added since the last time she looked through this box. 

Ginny picked up the ring and turned it over in her hands, running her finger across where the old snake used to be etched in the gold. You could just make out a piece of the head under all the batteredness. While doing so, Draco came to her mind. She never in a million years thought he would have information on her brother's murderer. Where did it come from? Why was Draco the one to give it to the Aurors? Was this just another ploy to gain favor within the wizarding world? If it was, why didn't he say something to her the other day in The Leaky Cauldron? He had been toasted -- or at least, she thought he had been toasted. Maybe he was just a good actor. Either way. . .

If one thing was true, it was that there really was far more to Draco Malfoy than she ever knew.

Ginny packed Harry's keepsakes back into their box and took them back to the closet. She pushed them back to the spot Harry had taken them from, and made her way back to their bed. Her mind was in a million places again, and not one of them paying attention to Quidditch like they should have been. She wished she knew how to feel about everything -- the frustration she felt was so intense that her body physically ached from not knowing what to do. 

Knowing she would not sleep well that night, Ginny reached over to her bedside table, opened the drawer and pulled out a sleeping potion. She uncorked the bottle and swallowed the potion in a single shot, her eyes barely staying open as she set the bottle down. Her head landed on the pillow, and she drifted away into a dreamless sleep.


	3. After Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3 is LIVE! I hope everyone enjoys it, as always please leave a comment and let me know what you think!! And again a big thank you to @kickynikki for your help! 
> 
> Thanks everyone!
> 
> *Pixie*

Chapter 3

 

"Wooo-hoo!" yelled Trapper, as he threw his club down on the locker room floor. 

"We kicked their asses!" He high-fived Morgan and threw Ginny his award winning smile. The match against Bulgaria had just ended and they’d won 650 to 200, their biggest victory this season. She, McGowan, and Morgan had flown with the exact precision that they had practiced. 

The Harpies had made it to the World Cup for the first time in a decade, and she’d lead the way. Ginny was so fired up -- the whole team was -- the owner, Walter Thomas, had hugged Ginny so hard she thought he actually cracked the rib the bludgers only bruised. She couldn't have been happier when he let go, though, as he dropped a huge bag of galleons into her open Quidditch bag. She had never seen a bag of galleons that big, and just sat there for a moment wondering how she was going to spend this small fortune. Walter had changed a lot about the Harpies in his 5 years as owner and his changes were starting to pay off. There was some discomfort when he announced he was going to recruit men to the team, but the league had started to change. After the war, everything seemed to change. Every year, more and more teams were adding women and quite a few men had expressed desires to join the Harpies, after Ginny and Panji joined. In the end, it seemed Walter had made a good choice. 

"Oi, Gin!" Morgan flopped down on the bench next to her and shook out her wet hair. She had beautiful golden locks that went all the way to her bum, and it was silky straight just like Ginny's. She threw her arm around Ginny, a smile stretching from ear to ear. 

"You played one helluva game tonight, Gin. That Bulgarian keeper was sooo pissed! I bet he took a calming draught as soon as he hit the locker room! His face was so red!" Laughing a little too hard, she fell backwards against the lockers. 

Ginny punched Morgan in the shoulder and said, "Yeah, I bet that oaf didn't think a woman should be on a broom, let alone score against him! I bet he gets his arse whooped sometime tonight." She paused before asking, "So what's the team plan for tonight? We got this dinner with the Bulgarian Ministry in a little while, and then it's time to party, right?" 

Morgan nodded and said, "I hope the team is there, I want to mess with that keeper’s head!" 

Ava Morgan loved getting under the other team's skin. Ginny thought it was because she had been with the Harpies the longest, so now that they were leading the league and on the way to the World Cup, she had to brag. Ginny didn't mind though, she liked to brag, too. As she walked to one of the private restrooms to finish getting ready for the night, she looked at herself in the mirror. The medi-witch did an excellent job of fixing her nose where a well aimed bludger had hit her square in the face about 10 minutes before Panji Patil caught the snitch. 

Trapper got the dingleberry back though, with a bludger to his baby maker, making the ass-hat fall off his broom. There was a minimal scar where one of the Chasers had elbowed her after her 10th goal in a row, which had caused an injury so deep they paused the game for her to be healed. She was sure he had enchanted his elbow somehow, because she’d never been hit so hard in a game before.

She ran her hand along the tiny scar, just another reminder of how great this victory felt. Everyone was shocked when she said she wanted to join the house team at Hogwarts, and they were even more shocked when she said she was going professional. But today, she proved them wrong. Today's win solidified her as not only a star Quidditch player but one of the best Chasers in the entire league. 

Ginny picked up her wand from inside her locker to finish her make-up for that evening. She wanted to make sure that everyone noticed her tonight. The dress she chose for the Victory Dinner was the exact shade of Harry's eyes, a beautiful deep shade of forest green silk, that hugged her curves in just the right way. She colored here eyelids the same shade as the dress to set off her honey brown eyes, with a candy apple red on her full lips. Giving herself a very approving final nod in the mirror, Ginny tucked her wand inside of her dress and shut her locker. 

Morgan looked just as good as Ginny. She had chosen a short maroon cocktail dress with a floral lace cover that made her rather short legs look 6 feet long, and her golden hair was in curls framing her slender face. The smokey eye makeup with her matching pouty maroon lips were sure to say, you want me but you can't have me. 

“If they couldn't see you today, Ginny, they're going to see you tonight!” Morgan wiggled her eyebrows and stuck her tongue out at Ginny.

“I doubt they will be lookin’ at me when I walk in next to you, girl!” Ginny smacked Morgan on her bum and the Chaser laughed.

“But if I do that, it’s called sexual harassment…” scoffed Trapper as he came around the side of the lockers by the bathrooms. He threw his arm around Morgan and looked at Ginny.

“You ladies look positively gorgeous tonight. McGowan, Michaelson and Patil are finished as well. They've just headed out to the limo.” He flashed them his Witch Weekly Award winning smile. 

“You clean up nicely as well, Trapper,” said Morgan as she stepped away to shut her locker. Bill Trapper had liquid topaz eyes, set in a strong Irish face. His hair was copper color, and it hung in small ringlets when he didn't have it pulled back. He had decided on a very tailored tuxedo underneath a set of pure black wizard’s robes. It showed off just how muscled his chest was, and how perfectly round his buttocks were. 

Just then, Nathan McGowan, the team's other chaser; Xander Seely, the other beater; and Lance Michaelson, the team’s Keeper, came walking through the left side of the locker room. All were dressed similarly to Trapper, only their robes differing slightly. McGowans were tailored to his chest and arms, what he considered his best asset. Michaelson wore his robes looser than the others,and his were lighter shade than the stark black of McGowan and Seely robes. Seely was the youngest of the team, just barely over 18, stood behind them, he'd never been to many formal gatherings, and his nerves showed as he stared at himself in the mirror behind the gathered group. 

“Merlin's beard, Seely, you look fine! Calm down boy!!” said Ginny as she eyed the young beater. 

“I know you've never worn a suit before and I wouldn't get used to wearing it tonight” said Panji Patil as she came slinking as only Seekers can, through the locker room door. She was the Patil twins’ older sister, though if you knew them you would swear the three of them were triplets. She walked towards the group and slid her arm around the one Seely had placed on his own hips.

“Someone is sure to want to get you out of it right after the food disappears,” she said, smacking him on the arm. 

 

“Looks like you’re all are ready to go, shall we be off to rub our win in the home team’s faces?!”, she said with a smile as she pulled Seely to the exit. The poor kid didn't know what to make of Panji -- she flirted relentlessly with him, but refused to go on a proper date. 

“She’s right, we should get there as early as possible. Never waste an opportunity to be adored, as my Gran always said!” called Morgan as she followed Panji and Seely out the door. 

Ginny gathered her dress and followed the rest of the team out of the locker room. They headed down the small hallway and out the side door to where the limo was waiting. When Walter had told them a limo would arrive to fetch them for the evening’s party, the team had been perplexed. He explained that the entrance to the Ministry was located inside of a tunnel so the easiest way in was in a vehicle. Apparently it came down to how the Bulgarians had created their Ministry, along with their involvement through the first and second muggle World Wars, and afterwards they had decided not to change it, so everyone still used this method. 

The men parted to let Ginny in before them, and as she slid into her seat she noticed the Bulgarian Ministry had spared no expense. The limo was well stocked with a number of foreign alcohols and the British Classics most of the team lived for, so Ginny grabbed a bottle whose name she couldn't pronounce. As Trapper shut the door behind him, the limo driver pulled away from the curb and down the stone street towards the Town Hall. 

“Who would like a drink?” she asked, holding the bottle out to her teammates, and after conjuring seven glasses, and taking 1 for herself, she sent them floating to her teammates, all of whom caught them easily. She unscrewed the cap and poured the acid colored liquid into their cups. They eyed the liquid suspiciously and tentatively sniffed their cups, but none of them made a sour face, so Ginny figured the drink was safe. 

“To us! Here we come, Quidditch World Cup!” she said lifting her glass to click with the others. 

“To us!” They echoed.

As the questionable liquid slid down Ginny's throat, and the limo continued its journey towards the party, she couldn't help but smile. They had beat Bulgaria, and she was actually going to play in a Quidditch World Cup. Her dreams had come true. 

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

“This food is amazing!” said Ginny, as she finished her fourth helping of what the Bulgarian Keeper kept calling kebapche. Whatever this meat stick was, Ginny thought, she could eat her weight in it, along with this weird yogurt soup called tarator. Despite the fact that the Harpies had beaten them so badly, and on their home field no less, the Bulgarian Team had been just as welcoming as the limo that was sent. At the Victory Dinner, they had provided a wide range of dishes for everyone. Most of her teammates stuck to their more traditional homeland tastes, but Ginny took risks and tried everything. She’d enjoyed nearly everything she’d tried. 

The party took place at their Ministry of Magic, and they had decorated the banquet hall with the Harpies logo and colors. Congratulations for the Win banners hung around the room, and all were signed by the Bulgarian Team and people of their ministry. They were quite surprised when they walked into the ballroom to this display of hospitality. Even Morgan had toned down her bragging because they were just too nice. As dinner was winding down, the Bulgarian Seeker kept trying to ask her questions, but Ginny couldn’t make out what he was saying until a man's voice came from over her left shoulder and translated for her.

“He wants to know if you'd like to go out with him tonight Weasley -- erm. . . Potter.” The voice she heard drained the color from Ginny's face instantly.

She turned around in her chair and came face to face with the slender midsection of the man, dressed in an emerald green, tailored suit. She followed his midsection up into the face she knew was there as soon as she heard the word “he”. His sliver grey eyes looked down into her honey brown ones, and he cracked a small crooked smile she had never seen before. 

“If I didn't know any better, I'd have said you were in Slytherin. Green does look good on you Weas--Potter.” 

From his view, Ginny was sure he couldn't see much of her dress, but he could see directly down into her cleavage.

She pushed her chair away so she could stand, and looked the man in the face. 

“Could you please tell him that I'm married, Malfoy, and maybe you could do with reminding as well. It's not polite to stare down a woman's dress,” she said before turning to walk away. Ginny hurried down the line of guests’ seats, hoping to look like she was just going to the bathroom. She prayed that Malfoy would be decent to the Bulgarian Seeker, seeing as how she left so abruptly. She hadn't meant to leave him without a proper answer -- he had been a gentleman all night, after all.

But seeing Malfoy, after the dreams she'd been having…

It was all she could do to get out of there without fainting. She hadn't expected to see him here. She’d figured she could get away with not seeing him until the Final, and by then she assumed she would have worked out whatever fascination her brain seem to be having with Draco Malfoy. 

When Ginny made it out of the double doors to the driveway, she took a deep breath of air. A cold sensation filled her chest and she held it for a count of five. She took a moment to just breathe deeply a few times before turning to look around her -- she needed some place to sit. 

The Bulgarian Ministry seemed to have a garden off to the side of their building, so Ginny took the path to her left and hoped it lead to a sitting area. She walked around the dark, small, winding curves for a moment and was suddenly surprised, when out of the darkness fairy lights appeared. Ginny walked a final bend in the pathway only to be greated with the most luscious garden she had ever seen. The walkway lead you down a magical path lit with soft fairy lights -- Ginny was sure in the daytime you could see the fairies in the rose bushes tending to the seedlings -- and great big canopy trees covered the walkway, so it felt as if you were another land. 

Exotic flowers had been enchanted to grow all along the pathways, and Ginny could just barely make out a pond in the distance. There must have been a bridge to cross it, but because it was so covered in blooms, all you could see was a tower of flowers, bright yellow cherry blossoms -- that must have been enchanted to produce the only light, because they were the only thing you could see in the darkness. A short way down this path, Ginny found a black, wrought iron bench to sit upon. She had just started to breathe normally when Malfoy came around the corner. 

“You took off kind of fast there, Weasley. Didn’t you want to make sure I let your friend down easily?” Draco said as he approached her. Ginny watched him as he took a seat next to her and crossed his legs. 

“Why are you following me, Malfoy?” she lifted her eyebrow in question as she sat back against the bench. 

“I thought it was obvious,” he said with a smirk, “I wanted to talk to you.” He walked over towards the bench and sat next to her, crossing his legs before turning to face her.

“And what's so important that you followed me out here?” Ginny was getting annoyed now. She just wanted to forget about Malfoy and his tight boxers, but he insisted on bugging her. 

“Well, it's not important, really. I just wanted to thank you for putting me to bed the other day,” he chuckled. 

“You’re welcome,” said Ginny flatly. She continued to look at Malfoy, hoping he would take the hint and leave. But the minutes passed silently by, and unfortunately, he didn't move.

“Don't you have someplace to be, Malfoy?” said Ginny, uncrossing her arms and reaching for the hidden pocket she had for her wand. Her wand wasn't the only thing Ginny had hidden there, and with the sudden spike in her anxiety, she really needed help calming down. 

“Not really. Ever since I moved away from the Manor, I've tried to distance myself from much of the public. No matter what I do, I will always be Draco Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy's son. I guess I know how Potter used to feel at school finally. When I walk into the room, everyone always starts talking about me, as if I'm not there.” Draco sighed and uncrossed his legs to lean forward and put his head in his hands. 

“I'd give anything for a time-turner, Weasley. Even if all I did was go back and tell myself to run away,” he said. When he looked up at her, she saw a glimpse of the man she put in bed the other night, the vulnerable one who shared his secrets.

Ginny decided that maybe he could use some help calming down too, so she pulled the small rolled joint from her pocket along with her wand. Looking at Draco, she lit a flame from her wand tip and put the joint in her mouth to light it. She took a long draw before pulling it away and handing it to him.

“Here. Hit this. It will help you calm down,” she said as she exhaled a large cloud of smoke. 

“What in the muggle fuckery is this?” Draco asked, holding the joint like he was afraid it may explode. He sniffed the paper and looked at Ginny again. It smelled like a skunk, but one that smelled beautifully. It was a strong, sweet pungent smell, that hung in the air and filled Dracos’ nose with mild stinging sensation. The smell almost reminded Draco of the mango fruit he had tried in the Caribbean. 

He held the joint between his thumb and forefinger, and slowly brought it to his lips. Ginny saw him cast her a look out of the corner of his eye and couldn't help but snicker. She remembered the first time Dudley had smoked a joint with her, she’d done the same thing.

 

“Give me that,” she said, taking the joint from him.

“This,” she held it between her forefinger and middle finger and took a drag, “is how you hold it.” 

She handed the joint back to Draco, and he copied her motions. 

“Once you inhale, hold it for a few seconds, then exhale,” Ginny said as he took his drag.

As Draco exhaled, he started to cough and he motioned for Ginny to take the thing between his fingers. His face turned slightly red with the amount of force with which his lungs exerted. 

“That first hit will get you,” Ginny said as she took another slow drag and held it a little longer this time. 

“What in the bloody hell is that? You said it was supposed to calm me down, but it just tried to kill me!” he said, as his face turning back to its normal shade. 

“It’s cannabis, Malfoy,” Ginny explained as she handed it back to him. He obviously had no clue what she was talking about by the bewildered look on his face. 

“Muggles have been using it for centuries. They smoke it or eat it, and it relaxes them. Harry's cousin Dudley introduced it to me the day we got married. I was a nervous wreck and almost ran away from the church until he came to see me with that stuff. Trust me, it will help. Once you get used to smoking it.” She held the joint towards him again, and he accepted her offer.

“This time don’t pull so hard on your inhale. You'll get less smoke and you’ll be less likely to choke,” she said as she watched him inhale again.

This time, Draco didn't choke. 

They sat there for a minute, just passing the joint back and forth between them, stealing sideways glances at each other while not speaking. 

“You know, this stuff isn't half bad, I guess,” said Draco after handing the joint back to Ginny. She could see that the weed was starting to mellow him out.

“I got this from McGowan. It's not as good as Dudley's, but it does the job. Dudley says the secret is that it contains 'fuck-it-all’ chemical.”

“Fuck-it-all? That sounds like one of those bad muggle porn movies!” said Draco as he laughed a little too enthusiastically.

“Muggle porn eh, Draco?” asked Ginny in surprise. “Who would have thought the Malfoy heir would watch muggle porn!” The thought sent Ginny into a fit of laughter. 

“Hey, now! Since my father was imprisoned I've figured out there are plenty of things to like about the muggle world. Like strip clubs and porn,” laughed Draco. 

“There was a time I didnt need those things, but my father's association with the Dark Lord has not helped my dating life. Muggle girls have no idea who old Voldy is, and it makes things easier.” His voice trailed off and this time he looked a little ashamed. Ginny reached over and laid a hand on his shoulder and gave him what she hoped was an understanding look.

“I get it. Muggles don't know you. They don't judge you because your father was a loon and dragged your family through the mud to follow the scum of the earth.” Ginny said with more understanding than she had anticipated. 

“Well at least he did that for me. Because of his actions, his only son has basically been outcast to the Muggle world and his heirs will probably be mudbloods. Serves him right, after what he put us through,” sneered Draco as he locked eyes with Ginny.

He studied her face for a moment. She looked at him with compassion and empathy, something Draco had not gotten from the wizarding world in a long time. She had a beautiful smile he thought, and those cute little freckles that dotted their way across her tiny little nose. 

“We’ve got to stop meeting like this, you know? People are going to start talking soon,” chuckled Draco as he looked at Ginny. 

“Boy… that would be front page Daily Prophet worthy wouldn't it?.. ‘Wife of Famous Harry Potter, Caught with ex-Death Eater, Draco Malfoy’... My mum would have a heart attack!” Ginny threw Draco a smile as she recalled the dream she had Wednesday night.

Because it had been exactly that. She and Draco had been fooling around for a few months and she had decided to visit his office. In the midst of their lust for each other, they had forgotten their protective enchantments and just started getting hot and heavy in his office. The next thing the naked pair knew, a Daily Prophet reporter walked in with Draco's secretary for an interview that he had scheduled. Ginny had woken up shortly after that, so she wasn't sure what the dream headline would have been, but that had to be close. 

 

“ ‘Boy Who Lived sent to Azkaban for murder of Wife's Secret Death Eater Lover’, “ quipped Draco, which sent Ginny into fits of laughter. 

“Oi! Oi! Could you imagine Ron's face?” Ginny said, barely able to breathe. 

“He would be so mad, his face would be as red as his hair!” Laughed Draco. 

Just picturing the image was almost too much for Ginny. She was laughing so hard her head was basically in Malfoy's lap. 

“Oh stop! STOP! I can't breathe! Poor ickle Ronnie-kin’s head would explode!” she exclaimed, emphasizing the ‘e’ for effect. 

Ginny sat up and looked at Malfoy. He was wiping tears of laughter from his eyes.

“I don't have a clue what was in that paper, Weasley, but it made me feel damn good,” he said as she straightened herself up. 

“You’re really not that bad after all, for a Malfoy,” said Ginny teasingly. The man in front of her right now was not the man she knew -- not who she’d thought he would grow into. This man was, in fact, pretty fun to be around. 

“I like to think it comes from the Black side, honestly. At least Mother's side of the family had some rebels, or as you'd call them, ‘decent people’,” he said as he gave a mock bow and tilted his non-existent hat.

“People really will start to talk if we don't get back inside soon,” said Draco. “After all, when the star Player and the newest Announcer goes missing for too long, someone is bound to notice.”

Draco stood and offered Ginny his arm. 

“Would you like to join me back inside the hall?”

Ginny thought for a moment what people may think if she came walking into with Draco, and she wondered if they would really see a headline like the one they’d just joked about. After taking a moment to decide that she didn't care what people may say, Ginny stood and grabbed Draco's arm. 

“Let's go party!” She smiled as she started to pull Draco down the path. 

“Thank you for following me, Malfoy. I haven't laughed like that in a long time.” Ginny looked at Draco to see that he was smiling that handsome shy smile he never let people see. 

“I haven't laughed like that in a long time either, Weasley.” Something dark crossed his eyes when he said that, but he didn't let Ginny see it for very long.

They made their way through the winding path back towards where they thought the entrance was located. As they rounded the final corner on the path, Ginny's foot seemed to get caught on something that pulled her backwards. Before she had time to react, she was falling to the ground, taking Malfoy with her. With a sharp smack, her bum hit the paving stones along with both her hands. Two seconds later, she was flat on her back with a Malfoy directly on top of her.

“Oh my God! Ouch! I'm so sorry for taking you down!” said Ginny as she struggled to push herself up some. 

“It's quite all right. I mean, I had a nice landing,” breathed Draco. His lips were not far from Ginny's and she could smell an intoxicating mix of honeysuckle, strawberry liquor, and cannabis coming from him. 

Draco sat there, on top of Ginny, and stared into her eyes. Just as she was about to suggest he get off her, Draco did something Ginny never expected.

He leaned down slowly and placed his soft lips upon Ginny’s rather dry ones. She was so shocked, she couldn’t respond for a moment. Once she realized what he was doing, Ginny responded in a way she thought would only happen in her dreams. Her hands wound themselves into his perfect hair, and for a tiny second, she kissed Draco back.


End file.
